1956_Giro_d'Italia

1956 Giro d'Italia

1956 Giro d'Italia

Cycling race

The 1956 Giro d'Italia was the 39th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro started off in Milan on 19 May with a 210 km (130.5 mi) flat stage and concluded back in Milan with a 113 km (70.2 mi) relatively flat mass-start stage on 10 June. Sixteen teams entered the race, which was won by Luxembourgian Charly Gaul of the Faema team. Second and third respectively were Italian riders Fiorenzo Magni and Agostino Coletto.[2][3]

Quick Facts Race details, Dates ...

Gaul took the lead in the legendary stage up Monte Bondone, where under a snow storm he won with an 8-minute margin over runner up Alessandro Fantini. This edition is unique since there were two Mountains Classification winners. There were two awards for the Dolomites and the Apennine mountains, the winners were Charly Gaul and Federico Bahamontes respectively.[4]

Teams

Fifteen teams were invited by the race organizers to participate in the 1956 edition of the Giro d'Italia.[5] Each team sent a squad of seven riders, which meant that the race started with a peloton of 105 cyclists.[5][6] From the riders that began the race, 43 made it to the finish in Milan.[1]

The teams entering the race were:[5][7]

  • Arbos-Bif-Clément
  • Atala-Pirelli
  • Bianchi-Pirelli
  • Carpano-Coppi
  • Eldorado
  • Faema-Guerra
  • Francia
  • Fréjus-Superga
  • Girardengo-ICEP
  • Italcover
  • Ignis
  • Legnano
  • Leo-Chlorodont
  • Nivea-Fuchs
  • Torpado-Pirelli

Pre-race favorites

The race was thought to be more open in previous years due to notable absences of top riders like Louison Bobet due to sickness, 1950 winner Hugo Koblet as he was recovering from a back injury and desired to focus on the Tour de France,[8] Stan Ockers, Ferdinand Kübler, and Raphaël Géminiani, along with the innovations regarding the race route.[6][9] A Feuille d'Avis de Neuchatel writer felt that the race would offer a great opportunity for the younger riders to succeed as the previous great riders like Coppi are getting too old.[6] Previous year's winner Fiorenzo Magni (Nivea-Fuchs) was one of the older generation of riders to enter the race in great form, coming off of a win at the Tour of Piedmont.[6] In addition, Magni had announced that this would be his last Giro as he would retire as the season's end.[6] The writer continued naming young Italians with potential to contend like Gastone Nencini (Leo–Chlorodont), following his performance in last Giro, amateur road race champion Sante Ranucci (Legnano), and Aldo Moser (Torpado).[6] Jean Brankart lead the primarily Belgian Eldorado team and was viewed as a rider who would win a Tour de France.[6] Some viewed Charly Gaul (Faema) as a favorite to contend for the overall.[6] Spanish contenders were thought to be climber Federico Bahamontes (Girardengo), while sprinter Miguel Poblet (Faema) was thought to be a favorite for the flatter stages.[6]

Route and stages

The route was revealed on 24 February 1956.[10][11][12][13] The race contained eight stages with mountains, which contained sixteen categorized climbs.[14][15] The race route all together contained 3 rest days and 23 stages across 25 days of racing, of which 18 were mass-start stages, two individual time trials, one team time trial event, and one individual time trial run as a relay.[6][9] The relay event took place in San Marino.[6][9] The second day of racing featured a split stage where the second half was a team time trial that was contested at night to not interfere with a local football match that was happening in the afternoon.[6] The planned tenth stage from Salerno to Frascati was deemed an "electoral stage" at the route's announcement and was chosen to be removed because it fell on the day of Italian municipal elections.[6][9] Three new Dolomite mountains were climbed during this edition of the race: Monte Bondone (1,300 m (4,265 ft)), San-Pellegrino (1,918 m (6,293 ft)), and Vallès (2,033 m (6,670 ft) meters).[6][9] Eleven categorized climbs from the Apennines were included in the race route, with the Pian di Creto (605 m (1,985 ft)) being utilized in the second stage.[9] For the first time in race history, the cities of Lecco, Rapallo, Salice Terme were stops for the Giro.[10]

When interviewed about the route several current and former riders said.[16] The route was thought to be difficult.[17][18][19][20][21][22][23]

More information Stage, Date ...

Classification leadership

One jersey was worn during the 1956 Giro d'Italia. The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider – wore a pink jersey. This classification is the most important of the race, and its winner is considered as the winner of the Giro.[24]

There were three mountains classifications in the 1956 Giro d'Italia, one for the Dolomites, Apennines, and one for the highest mountain in the race, the Passo dello Stelvio.[1] The rider that was the first over the Stelvio was Ignis' Aurelio Del Rio.[1][25] Although no jersey was awarded, there was also one classification for the teams, in which the teams were awarded points for their rider's performance during the stages.

More information Stage, Winner ...

Final standings

More information Legend ...

General classification

More information Rank, Name ...

Trofeo Dolomiti

More information Name, Team ...

Trofeo Appennini

More information Name, Team ...

Intermediate sprints classification

More information Name, Team ...

Trofeo della plata

More information Name, Team ...

Team classification

More information Team, Points ...

References

Footnotes

  1. [N 1]
    There were three mountains classifications in the 1956 Giro d'Italia, one for the Dolomites, Apennines, and one for the highest mountain in the race, the Passo dello Stelvio.[1] The rider that was the first over the Stelvio was Aurelio Del Rio. Federico Bahamontes won the Trofeo Appennini, while Charly Gaul won the Trofeo Dolomiti.
  2. [N 2]
    This stage was removed and the day was used to transfer the riders to Rome.

Citations

  1. [1]
    Bill and Carol McGann. "1956 Giro d'Italia". Bike Race Info. Dog Ear Publishing. Retrieved 2012-07-10.
  2. [2]
    "Gaul Vencedor Del "Giro"" [Gaul the Winner of the "Tour"] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 14 June 1956. p. 1. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  3. [3]
    Herbie Sykes (3 May 2017). "Part 3: Gaul & Monte Bondone". Soigneur. Archived from the original on 25 October 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  4. [4]
    John Wilcockson (23 May 2006). "50 years later: Remembering Charly Gaul's great ride". VeloNews. Competitor Group, Inc. Archived from the original on 5 October 2008. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  5. [5]
    "I Partenti" [Participants]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 19 May 1956. p. 5. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  6. [6]
    "La vieille garde (Coppi et Magni) résistera-t-elle une nouvelle fois aux assauts de la génération montante?" [Will the old guard (Coppi and Magni) resist once again the assaults of the rising generation?] (PDF). Feuille d'Avis de Neuchatel (in French). 19 May 1956. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2019 – via RERO.
  7. [7]
    "Sei i nomi per il gioco del pronostico" [You are the names for the prediction game] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. 19 May 1956. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  8. [8]
    Wadley 1956, p. 25.
  9. [9]
    "Les coureurs "du Giro" s'élancent pour une ronde de 3520 km" ["Giro" riders set off for a 3520 km round] (PDF). L'Impartial (in French). 19 May 1956. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 October 2019 – via RERO.
  10. [10]
    "Struttura, novita e percorso del Giro d'Italia 1956" [Structure, news and route of the 1956 Giro d'Italia]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 25 February 1956. p. 1 & 7. Archived from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  11. [11]
    "Varato il Giro al fruscio delle prime corse" [The Giro was launched at the rustling of the first races] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. 25 February 1956. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  12. [12]
    ""La Gazzetta dello Sport" ofrece la patrocincion del equipo espanol en el <<Giro>>" ["La Gazzetta dello Sport" offers sponsorship of the Spanish team in the << Giro >>] (PDF) (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 25 February 1956. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  13. [13]
    ""La Gazzetta dello Sport"" ["La Gazzetta dello Sport"] (PDF) (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 25 February 1956. p. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  14. [14]
    "Su Queste Montagne Si Decidera" [On these mountains will decide] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. 19 May 1956. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  15. [15]
    "Una tappa di tre chilometri novita del Giro d'Italia '56" [A three-kilometer stage of the '56 Italian Tour] (PDF). La Stampa (in Italian). Editrice La Stampa. 4 April 1956. p. 5. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  16. [16]
    "Speranze e timori" [Hopes and fears] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. 19 May 1956. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  17. [17]
    "Sara pesante la strada dei "girini"!" [The road of the "tadpoles" will be heavy] (PDF). l'Unità (in Italian). PCI. 18 May 1956. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  18. [18]
    Ennio Mantella (18 May 1956). "Sette candidati per un posto solo" [Seven candidates for a single post]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). p. 1 & 8. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  19. [19]
    Ennio Mantella (19 May 1956). "C'e nell'aria qualcosa di nuovo" [There is something new in the air]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). p. 1 & 6. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  20. [20]
    Mario de Angelis (19 May 1956). "La parola... ai modesti" [The word... to the modest]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). p. 6. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  21. [21]
    Mario de Angelis (19 May 1956). "Hoy se Inicia La Vuelta a Italia" [Today The Tour of Italy Starts] (PDF) (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. p. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  22. [22]
    Mario de Angelis (19 May 1956). "Hoy se Inicia La Vuelta a Italia" [Today The Tour of Italy Starts] (PDF) (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. p. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  23. [23]
    Enrico Vignolini (7 April 1956). "Il Giro d'Italia di ieri di oggi" [The Giro d'Italia of yesterday today]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). p. 1 & 8. Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  24. [24]
    Laura Weislo (13 May 2008). "Giro d'Italia classifications demystified". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
  25. [25]
    "Del Rio primo sul valico dello Stelvio e Maule vincitore in volata a Merano" [Del Rio on the first pass of the Stelvio and Maule winner in the sprint in Merano] (PDF). La Stampa (in Italian). Editrice La Stampa. 8 June 1956. p. 4. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  26. [26]
    "Gaul ha vinto il Giro d'Italia" [Gaul has won the Tour of Italy] (PDF). Stampa Sera (in Italian). Editrice La Stampa. 11 June 1956. p. 5. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  27. [27]
    "Gaul, Vencedor Del "Giro"" [Gaul, the Winner of the "Tour"] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 14 June 1956. p. 5. Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  28. [28]
    "Trofeo delle Dolomiti" [Trophy of the Dolomites]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 9 June 1956. p. 6. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  29. [29]
    "Magni sara in gara nella "grande boucle"?" [Magni will be competing in the "grand boucle"?] (PDF). La Stampa (in Italian). Editrice La Stampa. 5 June 1956. p. 5. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  30. [30]
    "Trofeo Traguardi Volanti" [Flying Trophy Successes]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 11 June 1956. p. 12. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  31. [31]
    "Trofeo della Pista" [Trophy Track]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 11 June 1956. p. 12. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  32. [32]
    "G. P. Dell'Industria". Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 11 June 1956. p. 12. Archived from the original on 23 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2013.

Bibliography
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